Previous Editions of HOI
HOI 2020
In January and February of 2020, our Executive Director, Janet Anthony, travelled across Haiti hearing close to 130 auditions for the HOI. Along with administrators from our hosts, the Cemuchca Institute of Music, she met with the Cap Haitian Chamber of Commerce and members of the local historical society to lay plans for the week-long music festival the city had wanted to present. Alas, with the mid-March declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic, the decision was made to cancel the HOI. In spite of the disappointment, we are very proud of the hard work of all those who auditioned and who had made extraordinary progress over the past year. We know that the HOI is a singularly motivating event for all orchestra musicians in Haiti and we truly look forward to being able to offer this opportunity once again.
HOI 2019
Due to political unrest, we were obliged to cancel the 2019 edition of HOI. Before this happened, Janet had the opportunity to hear 122 auditions all around the country and, once again, was thrilled by the increasing confidence and ease of those who played for her. The three co-directors of the HOI, Janet, John and Yuki, spent a week in Cap-Haitian in April, 2019 teaching a small group of students from across the country and making plans for upcoming editions of the HOI.
HOI 2018
The second annual HOI was a huge success! It took place in Cap-Haitian with our hosts, the Cemuchca Institute of Music. In addition to Maestro Thierry Fischer, Music Director of the Utah Symphony, Maestro Pierre Leroy also conducted a wonderful meringue by Haitian composer Occide Jeanty. 92 musicians, selected by audition, and 5 luthiers representing 25 music programs from eight of Haiti’s ten departments were involved in this extraordinary event! The performance was packed with the overflow crowd watching the event on TV monitors outside the concert space.
HOI 2017
The first edition of the annual Haitian Orchestra Institute was hosted by the Dessaix-Baptiste Music School in Jacmel. Haitian conductor Canes Nicolas arrived early to prepare the orchestra for Utah Symphony Music Director Thierry Fischer and also conducted a work by Haitian composer Ludovic Lamothe. A total of 110 musicians, luthiers and arts administrators, representing 23 music programs from across Haiti, participated in an intense week of orchestral training with musicians of the Utah Symphony, culminating in a marvelous final concert at the Salle Polyvalant in Jacmel.